Liquid-flow-measuring device



May 4 1926, 1,583,574 v c. w. CARTER LIQUID FLOW MEASURING DEVIJ me@ March 5. 1924 2 sheets-sheet 1 ATTE.

Il IIIIL May 4 1926.

c w. CARTER LIQUID FLOW MEASURING DEVICE Filecimarch 5, 1924 z Sheetssheet 2 .declare the following to be a full,

Patented May 4, 1926.

rar

CLARENCEW. CARTER, or iiiiniinaronis, MiNNEsoTA.

LIQUID-rrow-iinnsnaine nnvicn,`

Application led March 5,1924. Serial Nb.6$7,084.

T o all 'whom t may] concern: Be it known that I, CLARENCE W. CARTER, a citizen ofthe United States, resi-ding at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain ,new and useful Improvements inl Liquid- Flow-Measuring Devices; and I do hereby clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable'others skilled in the art to which vit appertains to make and use the same.;

My invention provides an extremely simple and highly efficient machine for very accurately regulating the flow of liquids in units ofmeasure per units of time. The device is, therefore, in a'sense, a liquid flow measuring device.4 are well adapted for use as percentage feeders for commingling or producing blends of different liquids. j Also, one of my improved liquid flow' regulators is .well adapted for use as a moisturesupplying device in connection with a feed regulator or percentage feeder such ,as used of grain.

Hitlierto, various devices liavebeen provided for controlling the ed solids, such as grain and the like, but such devices have not 4been found efficient or even practically operative for controlling the flow of liquids. The accurate control of the flow of4 liquids presents certain re-M quirementsnot met by the earlier types of devices for the control of grain and the like, but all of which requirements are eifectually met by this improved The important features involved in this nnproved machine will be better understood after having first described in detail the commercial embodiment thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a horizontal section taken through the complete liquid flow regulator on the line 1`1 of Fig. 2; y.

' Fig. 2 is a'vertical section taken approxy imately on the irregular line 22 of Fig. 1

with some parts shown in full and some parts broken avi/@YS i Fig. 3 is a horizontal section ontheline 3-r-3 of Fig. 2; Y

Fig. 4 is a fragmentaryhorizontalr section 1 partment 8, soy that the wat-er deliveredy on the linea-A of Fig. 2; and

lSeveral of such devices for controlling the fiow` ypartnieiit flow of finely divid` liquid flow regulator.`

` tion of the lwall 10 on pasaste Fig. 5 is la detail in transverse verticale.

i section taken approximately onthe line 5.-,-5

of Fig.

All 0f thimvngparts of thedevice are ,y

located within a suitable casing, preferably a cast iron shell 6, foimedinto itwo main-m` compartments 7 and 8 and preferably 'vprovided vwith a removable-.cover 9. The compartment 7` is a substantially rectangular structure and the compartment 8 is fa substantially cylindrical structure that :is set`v partway into one side of the compartment 7 but projects laterally therefrom, softhat, its axis is offset from one sidev of 'said compartment 7. A,That portion of the compartment 8 that is within the compartment 7 is lformed with an upstanding segmental walll 110 that terminates below the'ftop `of the shellv and converts said compartment 8'into what may loev designated as a combinedwater supply compartment and float chamber; A water -or liquid supply vpipe 11 'extends upward and is connected axially through-thebottcm of the compartment 8 and delivers to a valve seat 12 secured on the .bottoni of` said com- 8and having/"a supply port 18. The port 13 is adapted to vbe closed bya valve 14 arranged to be depressed onto said seat under the action of levers 115 fulcrumed to lugs 12 of the valve seat y12 and connected at their 'outer ends by straps orf 1.

links 16 to a iioat 17. .The float 17 is preferably a hollow sheet metal shell of short cylindrical form and, as will presently be noted, it operates to maintain an approX- imately constant level of water or liquid*- within the compartment 8. i l 1 liVithin' the upper portion `of ythe comp artinent7, the compartment '8` `is formed with an' extension that provides ya-wat'er orV liquid delivery chamber 18 is connected to the compartment 8 through ay submerged port 19. HereH it may be noted that the wall 10 serves as a partition wall between the compartment 8 and@ the chamber formed. between a forwardly extendedfpor- As an important feature Aof it will be noted that the chamber 18. thisv invention,

chamber or compartment 18. The" 18 and that the port y19 is.;v

4the bottom of the water delivery chamber 18'is formed withVH through the overflow passage 21 will be discharged under a very slight head and under i very low pressure.V In fact, the altitudes of the liquid in the chambers 8 and 18 will be so nearly the same that there will be but a very slight pressure tending to produce flow through the port 19; but this important matter will be later given further consideration.

The overflow port 21 is shown as provided with a slightly curved water-flow-guiding plate 22. The numeral 23 indicates a transverse baflle plate applied in the chamber 18 between the port 19 and overflow passage 21 and extended somewhat above and below the water level so as to pir-event direct surface currents and to deflect the dow of liquid on "its way to the overflow passage.

For controlling the flow of water or liquid through the feed port 19, I provide arvalve, preferably of the oscillatoryY type, the same as shown comprising a sleeve-like hub 24, a radially projecting arm 25. and a` segmental valve plate 26, the latter being at the free end of said arm, and the hub 24 having axially projecting knife-edged fulcrums 27. The knifeeedged fulcrums 27 are seated on notched bearings 28 formed on the upper edges of the sides of the liquid deliveryA chamber 18 and the lower convex surface of the valve plate 26 is arranged to very closely but fre-ely engage with a concave cylindrical valve seat 29 formed at the upper extremity of the passage 19. At one end,the hub 24 is provided with a rearwardly extended arm in the form of a rod 30 provided at its free end with a counterweight 31 that is made axially adjustable by threaded engagement. At its other end, the hub 24 is provided with aforwardly projecting arm 32, which, by a. link 33, is connected, to the forwardly project-ing end of a beam 34. The beam 34 and another beam 35, herein designated' as a scalel beam, are rigidly connected to a common frame 36 that forms a common support for the two beams and is provided.

with axially spaced knife-edged fulcrums 37 resting on fulcrum seats 38 of a fulcrum bracket 39, (see Figs. 3 and 5), rigidly secured to one side of the shell of the compartment 7 The scale beam 35 extends on both sides ot' fits fulcrum and is provided with a slidablyadjustable weight 40. Also, the scale beam 35 is graduated to indicate units of liquidY measure. It may be thus graduated in accordance with any system of measurement to indicate units of flow per unit of time. Located within the line ol' f flow from the overflow passage 21 and plate 22 is a ,so-calledrimpact plate, which, in one way or another, is connected to move with the scale beam. As shown, this impact plate is a thin obliquely set plate 41 that is rigidlyl connected to the front end of the beam 34. The plate 41, for convenience, is designated as an impact plate, becauseY there will be some impact due to the falling water thereon, but the regulating action is due to probablyV as much tothe weight of water or liquid running on said plate as it is to direct impact.

In some arrangements, the water or liquid would be discharged directly from the impact plate 41 onto the material or into the receptacle that is to receive the same, but in the preferred arrangement, theliquid running from the said plate 41 will be caught by a secondary delivery chamber 42 formed on the bottom of the compartment 7 and provided with a secondary overflow passage ln this arrangement,v the chamber 42 will contain a considerable .quantity of liquid and, hence, may be used as a dash pot. is a stabilizer for preventing vibrations or quick movements of the scale beam, the beam 34, at its front end, is shown as provided with a. depending arm 44, which, at its lower end, has a dash plate45 working in the liquid of the chamber 42 Vbelow a horizontal baffle plate 46, which latter is supported in the chamber 42 considerably above the plate 45 and slightly below the liquid level of said chamber.

As a counter-balance to the impact plate 41, the arm 44 and dash plate 45, the fulcrum frame 36 is shown as` provided with a rearwardly extended arm in the form of a rod 47 having a weight 48 made axially adadjustable by screw-threaded engagement therewith.

The baille plate 46 prevents the agitation of the water in the chamber 42 under vertical movements of the dash plate 45 from changing or interfering with the steady flow of water through the overflow passage 43.

It should be noted .that the baille Aplate 46 has a quite large perforation 46 through which the depending arm 44 works freely. This passage permits waterto llow slowly but not to splash from the upper to the lower side of said plate 46, i

Operation.

The adjustment of the counterbalancing weights 31 and 4S should be such that when the scale weight 40 is set at the Zero mark on the scale beam 35, the valve 26 will be positioned so that it just closes the port 19 and, of course, when said valve is thus adjusted, there will be practically noflow o the wateror liquid from the device. The lioat will automatically maintain asubstantially constant level or" the water in the supply compartment 3, regardless of whether or not there isa discharge of water orliquid from the apparatus through the overflow passage 21. rlhe valve 26 may be fittedV to the seat 29 so that it will work with av clear ance of only a few thousandths of an inch, and the slightY head will prorqce such light vpressure thatl lit willpnot overcome the `fric toward the ,right -from `its Zero 'position in respect tothe drawings, the rightdiand endV vof the scale beam will be lowered andthe valve 26 will'be moved into an open position, which will give the predetermined de vsired flow of water or liquid in units of measure per unit ottime, that is, said valve will be adjusted to such position as soon as the overflowing water or liquid becomes active on the impact plate 41. If the valve should happen to move to a position which gives greater flow than that indicated by the setting of the weight on the scale beam, then the left-hand end of the scale beam and the impact plate will be slightly lowered, thereby moving the valve 26 toward its closed position far enough to corrector to provide the predetermined flow, and, of course, the converse of this statement is true. The secondary delivery `chamber 42 will be kept filled with the water' oi' liquid and, as already stated, the piston-'acting Vdash plate 45 will prevent sudden vibrations or quick movements of the'scale beam, impactY plate and controlling valve. Y*

The above is a description of a commercial device embodying my invention and especially designed for controlling the flow of water, for the dainpening of grain, or 'for some similar purpose, but it will, of course, be understood that the device may be modi fied in its details of construction and ai.

rangements of parts to adapt the -same 'for the feeding of various other liquids, and all within the scope of my invention as herein disclosed and claimed.

What- I claim is: y

1. A liquid flow regula-tor comprising' a liquid container having an overflow passage, a scale beam having positioned in the path of the liquid llow from said overflow passage, means for maintaining a predetermined altitude of liquid within said container, and a valve operated by said scale beamand controlling the flow of liquid through said overflow passage.

2. A liquidflow regulator 'comprising a liquid container having an overflow passage, a scale beam having an impact plate posiJ tioned in `the path of the liquid flow from 'V said overi'dow passage, means lor automatically maintaining a substantially constant altitude of liquid Within said container at an altitude but slightly. above the overflow line of said overiiow passage, and a valve op erated by said scale beam and controlling beam weight 40`is adjustedl Y at lany particular position on the scale beam an impact platel sage;

A liquid -flow regulator comprising a liquidv container, a float-controlled valve for maintainiiiga substantially constant level of liquid in said container, said container having an overflow passage located v'butsli-ghtly below the level of the said container, a 'fscalebeam having an impact plate 'positioned in the path offiow of' liquid from said ovei'llow passage, .a valve llor controlling the flow container to said` overflow passage, and a connection between .said scale beam and valve yfor moving saidvalve in accordance vwith lthe counterpoise of said scale beam.

4. A' liquid rflow regulator comprising a container divided into supply and delivery compartments connected by la submerged port, saiddelivery compartment'having an overflow passage located below the level of the liquid in said supply compartment, a submerged valve cooperating with said sub` merged port, and an adjustably poised scale beam having an impact plate, positioned in the path ofthe liquid flowfroin said overflow passage.

V5. rllhe structure defined in claim4 in further combination with a float-actuated inletvalve controlling the supply of liquid to said supply compartment'and maintaining a level of liquid that is but slightly above the overflow line of said overflow passage.

6L A liquid flow regulator comprising a container ydivided into supply and delivery .compartments connected by a submerged port, said delivery compartment having an overflowing passage located at a materially higher level than said submerged port, means forautoinatically maintaining av substantially 'the flow of liquid vthrough said overflow pas,

liquid maintained `in of liquid -from` said constant level of liquid' within said supply Y compartment at an altitude but slightly above the overflow line of said overflow passage, and a variably counterpoised scale beam, an impact plate connected to said scale beam and positioned in the path of flow of the liquid from said overflow passage, a submerged valve cooperating` with said submerged port, and a connection for operating said valve from said scale beam.

7. The y structure defined in. claim 1 in which said valve is of segmental cylindrical ius form and is fulcrumed above the liquid level l of said container.

8. The Ystructure defined in claim v4 in which said valve is of segmental cylindrical form and is Jfulcrumed above the liquid level of said container.

9. rlhe structure defined in claim 1 in .which said valve is of segmental cylindrical form andis fulcrumed above the liquid level of said container, said valve having an ad? justable counterweight.

10. lThe structure deiined in claim 4 in which said valve is of segmental cylindrical form and is fulcrumed above the liquid level Vsaid container, a variabiy counterpoised scale beam having a connection for operating said valve and provided with an impact plate positioned in the path of ow from said container, a secondary liquid receptacle having` an overflow passage and arranged to receive the liquid from said impact plate, and a dash plate submerged in the liquid in said latter noted container and connected to said scale beam and serving as a retarding device.

l2. The structure defined in claim l in Vfurther combination with a secondary'liquid receptacle positioned to receive the liquid from said impact plate and having an overflow passage, and a dash-acting element submerged in the liquid of said secondary container and connected to move with said scale beam. i

13. The structure defined in claim l in Which said valve is provided With an adjustable counterw'eight and in which said scale beam is provided with a sliding Weight and with van independently adjustable counterposing Weight.

14. The structure defined in claim 2 in which the automatic means for maintaining a constant altitude of liquid Within the container is a Heat-actuated valve control! ling a port opening through the'bottom or" said container. c

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.'

CLARENCE W. CARTER; 

